Living Like We're Crazy In LoveAll Time Low 2
by GabbyRice
Summary: Sequel to 'Dreams Only Last For a Night'. What troubles will Grace, Jack, Alex, Zack and Rian face when on tour? Oh, and BTW, Alex has found a new friend-Jose Cuervo. Gaskarth, Barakat, Merrick, and Dawson FTW Yahhh :
1. Chapter 1

I tried to never regret anything, no matter how bad it was. I only had one life, and I intended to live it. My one hope at the end of my life, was that I could look back and smile at every thing I had done.

Living Like We're Crazy In Love

By Gabby Reisz

"Wow." I whispered.

Kara walked shyly into the room. Her floor length dress, whiter than snow, sparkled against her skin. It was laced with beads and ruffled at her entrance. She was beautiful.

I felt selfish envying Kara. It was her day, one of the most important in her life. It was her day to shine. I leaned down and scratched at my leg. The bride's maids dresses were somewhat cute, but itched like hell.

The day had finally come. Kara and Rian were getting married.

I was there the day he purposed, well, we all were. Rian and Kara were the only ones who didn't know, and Rian was the one who made the mistake of telling the loudmouth all-around fun boy Alex about the proposal. He told my boyfriend Jack, who told me, of course. And then we all laughed at Zack for being the last one to know.

Rian was planning on spending the weekend in New York, but when that didn't work out, he improvised. Instead, he planned a _very_ romantic evening at Druid Lake. It may have been polluted and cold, but Rian had skill when it came to making her feel special.

The guys and I may not have heard what they said, but we saw the proposal. It was a somewhat tear-jerking moment for me. Rian got down on one knee, pulled out the little black box, and Kara screams yes. It was a perfect storybook beginning.

The planning, not so much. Kara isn't a very good wedding planner. And unfortunately, neither am I. Oddly enough, Zack is. He got the flowers, called the caterers, booked the reception, and found time to learn how to waltz.

Kara's eyes began to water, again. I wondered, did she have cold feet? I surely hoped not. We only had an hour left until the ceremony, and there was no turning back. I hoped the guys were doing OK.

It was time for the bride's maids to leave for the ceremony. Kara's sister, best friend, and myself told Kara our last words before departing, which made her even more emotional, and then left.

We lined up at the alter, stood up straight and smiled. Thats all we had to do the rest of the time. I took a peek over at Jack, Zack and Alex. They all looked amazing in their Zack approved tuxedos.

The ceremony went off without a hitch. Luckily, Kara didn't start excessively crying until the 'I Dos', but I think we were all crying by then.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife." said the minister. The crowd went crazy with applause as Rian and Kara kissed for the first time as a married couple. They looked so happy. I glanced over at Jack, who was smiling widely at me already.

After the reception, Rian and Kara were off to Jacksonville for their honeymoon. The guys and I would meet them there in 2 weeks after kicking off the All Time Low tour. I already missed them both, but at the same time, I was extremely happy for them.

"Um, Jack? Where am I going to sleep?" I asked Jack, embarrassed. We were aboard the tour bus and I was a little worried. Had Jack and I gone far enough that we could spend every night together, or was it too soon?

"Whatever works for you." he said, swiftly, yet sweetly kissing me as he hopped off the bus to get more stuff. He was so cute sometimes.

That still didn't answer my question. The bunks were small and tight, but Jack and I were close right? I just decided to see where things would go, and go with the moment.

"Don't worry Grace, my bunks always open!" Alex laughed as lounged on the couch. Ha ha, very funny. Alex hadn't let up on the jokes ever since Elyse dumped him. He was a little thrown off when she said goodbye after he got drunk a little too much. I felt bad, but I was in love with Jack, and Alex should respect that, at least a little bit.

Alex was having trouble with women lately, well it was 3 months ago that he started dating Elyse and she just dumped him 3 weeks ago. I was beginning to get a little worried about him.

Zack... was being Zack. He hadn't really dated since our little triangle back in summer, he hadn't had any mental breakdowns or any similar fiascoes.

The guys were already playing Halo before we were even out of Baltimore. It felt weird not having Kara or Rian around, but I was still excited that they were actually married.

To keep myself occupied, trying to stay away from Halo so I don't make the guys feel bad, I mostly read, slept or hung out with the guys' friends. They knew a lot of people willing to step out of their lives for months on end to chill with a bunch of 20-year-old musicians. I was just glad I was included.

Being on a bus with a bunch of guys was like living in a laundry hamper. They smelt bad, very bad. They ate, everywhere. There was pizza left in the most random places. Though the smells were very strange and the place was a mess, it was one of the best decisions I ever made in my lifetime. It was like a party every 5 minutes.

The guys like to dance. I wondered why there wasn't a stripper pole installed somewhere, but knowing the guys, there was probably one hidden somewhere under all the clothes and alcohol.

"So what are we doing tonight?" I asked as I squeezed myself through the tiny hallway into the back room. It was 5:30 on our 3rd day on the bus. Alex and Zack were watching something on TV that I wasn't paying attention to, and Jack was in the front talking to Rian on the phone.

"Who knows, ssh, my show is on." Alex said, not removing his eyes from the TV. I turned to see him totally gazing at the blond actress on 'The Hills'. This made me laugh to myself.

"Alex, I thought you would be more of a Reba type of guy." I said jokingly. Zack laughed but Alex didn't seem too excited. He unglued his eyes from his 'reality show' to glare at me nervously. I shrugged at him and slouched onto the couch.

The tour schedule was crazy. We were on our way to Virginia, then back up to Philadelphia, to New York, down to Washington DC, and on to North Carolina. All these shows were only a day or 2 apart, so we had to keep driving until we got there. It was insanely hectic keeping on time.

"Hey." Jack said as he walked into our little party.

"Whats up?" I asked.

"Rian and Kara are having a good time in Jacksonville. And we are gonna meet him there and head to our show immediately after that."

"OK. Now shut up, I have to see if Heidi is really going to forgive LC." the entire room exploded with laughter, and Alex hid face in embarrassment.

"You're such a girl sometimes dude."

"I happen to like being a girl!" Alex said accidentally.

The last couple of nights I had been sleeping on the couch in the back room. I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to do about that. Did I want to sleep with Jack? Of course. Was I ready to sleep with Jack? No idea. Would I be comfortable in those cubbyholes? That I honestly didn't care about.

But that night I made a decision. Once the guys were heading off to bed, instead of being the first loser asleep like the nights before, I waited. It took a while, but once all the guys and their groupies were asleep, I hopped up off the couch and tip-toed into the hallway.

Luckily, Jack's bunk was the most obvious. He had his name written on a paper hanging above his bed. Written next to his name was scribbled, 'piece of shit', most likely by Alex.

I moved the curtain to see my amazing boyfriend completely lost in sleep. I took a moment to just admire him, all the wonderful things he had done. I felt I surge of luckiness filter through my body, giving me goosebumps.

I finally found the power to lift myself up into the cubbyhole. It was almost like he was waiting for me. I fit perfectly into the space, but instead of just laying there, I snuggled my way into his arms. It made me feel foolish for laying out on the couch those nights when I could've been with Jack.

He always had a thing to him that Zack and Alex didn't, some kind of magnetism. I automatically felt better then before. All the jitters about this moment melted away. I felt like I wanted to spend all my time with Jack, and I was beginning to feel like I wanted, but also _needed_ him.

I just lied there, fighting my drowsy eyes. I didn't want to sleep, not just yet. I wanted to savor the moment for as long as possible. But after a while, my eyes fought back and slowly shut themselves. I felt my mind closing in and slowing down. The night had finally closed over me and Jack.


	2. Chapter 2

"Awe, well isn't that just adorable" I awoke to the girlish voice coming from Alex. I rubbed my eyes to see Alex, Zack, their tour manager Matt, and someone I didn't know crowded around Jack's bunk.

"It just makes me tingle inside." Zack said wiping fake tears from his eyes.

"Popcorn?" Alex asked Zack, offering a movie theater sized popcorn box. Zack grabbed a large handful and stuffed his face with it. I groaned with anger. I had finally had a nice night with Jack and the guys had to ruin it.

"Damn it guys! Go away!" Jack yelled.

"We were just enjoying the moment!" Alex defended.

"Disgusting." was all I could say. I forcibly moved the curtain back to its original placement. Great. I turned around in the dark and buried my face in Jack's chest. I was livid, but I didn't want to show it.

"Assholes." Jack whispered.

"I'm sorry..." I began, but of course, he stopped me.

"Don't be. It's OK, they're just jealous that they have empty beds and I've got you." he said smiling sweetly.

"I love you Jack." I whispered, kissing his chin.

"I love you Grace." he whispered back and kissed my forehead.

"Awe! How sweet!" squealed Alex. Even though I was still mad, I laughed. He _was_ just jealous.

That night was the night of the Philadelphia concert, and the night when I needed Kara the most. I had so much on my mind, and when the guys were preforming, Kara and I would chat about things. But she was still in Jacksonville and I was sitting on the bus by myself.

After a while, I felt lonely. So I decided to get of my ass and join Jack, Zack, Alex and their temporary drummer on stage. Or at least backstage.

I sighed and gripped my backstage pass tightly. I straightened out my dress and put on my shoes. I stepped out of the bus and headed to the showroom. I went in the VIP way and had a flashback to my first concert. It had been a couple weeks since I visited one of these, but it was still crazy and chaotic.

I found a corner that was uninhibited, and stayed there.

But after a while, I was getting tired. I sneakily walked out and back to the tour bus. I threw myself on the couch and immediately fell asleep. The couch wasn't exactly the most comfortable place to sleep, but I didn't have the energy to move. I was deep in slumber when the doors flung open. I may have been awake, but I pretended to sleep, for no reason exactly.

"Awe, poor Jacky isn't going to get any lovin' tonight!" Alex squealed. Alex's voice was extremely noticeable. His voice was high and shrilly and was very annoying. Especially when it was making fun of me and Jack.

"Awe poor Jack." Matt laughed. This caused an echo of laughs through out the bus.

"Shut the hell up guys! You just wish you had someone as sexy as Grace in your bed!" Jack fumed. It was kind of cute that he would say that. I tried not to smile, it would kind of give away my fake sleeping.

I didn't know why, but the guys had nothing to say to that.

I woke up at about 9. We were on our way to New York for the next concert and all the guys were still sleeping. An evil plot popped into my mind.

I went to the front of the bus where all the necessities were. I dug through the mess until I found what I was looking for. A sharpie.

I crept to Alex's bunk as quietly as possible. I silently moved the curtain to see Alex sleeping peacefully. Perfect. I removed the cap from the sharpie and put any art skills I had to work. I took my time, but knowing beauty didn't matter and the worse it looked the better, I knew this would work out well. I pulled away to admire my finishings.

He looked gorgeous with his large unibrow, mustache, and terrible acne. Thats what he gets for messing with my boyfriend. I was a little sad that I had to wait to see his reaction, knowing he would probably be sleeping for a few more hours.

To occupy myself, I slept a little more. I knew I would be able to hear the reaction. It was about an hour and a half when I was awoken by yelling.

"Your girlfriend is a bitch!" I could hear from the front room. Revenge was _very_ sweet.

"You look very pretty Alex." Jack laughed.

"I'll get her back, you just wait." Alex said mischievously.

"You better stay the hell away from Grace or you're dead." Jack threatened jokingly.

"Oh I can take him." I said as I walked into their little squabble.

"Ass." was all Alex could mumble.

The entire room laughed and I was attacked with many high fives. Zack seemed exceptionally impressed. Without looking back, Jack grabbed my hand and pulled me to the back of the bus away from everyone else.

"That was awesome." he whispered into my hair as he hugged me tightly.

"Because apparently they are 'just jealous that they don't have someone as sexy as Grace in their beds'." I said, mocking him.

Jack went completely red. "You heard that?"

"All of it." I replied. "And I thought it was very sweet of you to stand up for us." I said.

"Any time." he whispered as he kissed me.

We then played Halo, where I continued to beat the guys' asses. Alex attempted to scrub his face, but it didn't really work, he still looked like a hobbit.

That night's concert, I decided to stay in. I was texting Kara when the guys poured in. It was way to early for the concert to be over, so I confusingly peered around the corner to see what was up.

What I saw slightly shocked me. Jack and Matt were pulling a very different Alex into the bus. Alex looked terrible. His face was completely pale, his eyes were indescribable and he was yelling and shouting something about an 'ass who deserved it'.

I automatically jumped up to see him closer. "What happened?" I shrieked.

"He had a couple too many." Zack explained walking in after them.

"It's no big deal, it happens. Whoa, Grace, whats wrong?" I must've looked horrified, because Jack seemed upset to see me.

"He looks terrible. Are you sure he's OK?" I asked, still worried.

"Grace, he's fine. Don't worry." Jack said attempting to reassure me.

"I think you guys should keep him away from alcohol for a while." I murmured.

"Grace, it's _fine_."

"Jack, I'm worried about Alex."

"Well don't." he said, raising his voice. He seemed to be yelling at me at this point.

"Jack, please." I whispered.

I could feel myself wanting to cry. I never argued with Jack, ever. I just was really worried about Alex and thought they should watch him a little closer. My stomach starting knotting up and making me dizzy.

"Grace, just shut the fuck up!" Jack yelled.

My first instinct would have been to slap him. But, being the girl that I was, I ran. It's not like a ran off the bus, but I ran to the bathroom and cried. I had my first fight with Jack. It's not something I wanted to repeat. I felt as though I was going to throw up.

I curled up into a ball and sat there, my tears flowing down my legs. We fought over _Alex, _the idiot who I face painted this morning. I had calmed down almost fully when there was a knock on the door.

"Grace? I'm sorry." Jack said from the other side.

I thought about it and decided to get over it. I unlocked the door and was automatically in Jack's arms.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you, Grace, I was just pissed at Alex." he whispered into my hair.

I didn't feel the need for words, so I just stood there. And we stood there for a while until Jack pulled away to look at me. He wiped away the tears from my face and leaned in to press his lips lightly to my forehead. I had guessed it had gotten pretty late. So Jack pulled me along to his bunk.

He crawled in and I followed. He was asleep within five minutes, but I had trouble sleeping. I pondered the fight, and realized how stupid it was. I just wished it never happened.

I woke up to whispers. I heard Alex saying something about revenge, and I automatically knew what he was planning. I silently turned to see Jack sound asleep. I closed my eyes and pretended to sleep. Footsteps came closer and closer and I heard the uncapping of a sharpie. I waited a moment before I jumped up and kicked Alex in the balls.

His wails of pain made me laugh hysterically. It woke Jack up with terror in his eyes, but when he saw what was going on, he laughed with me. Messing with Alex was so easy.

"Shit Grace!" he yelled. "I'm still hungover!" I noticed he was wearing sunglasses and very comfortable clothing. I didn't feel bad for a moment.


	3. Chapter 3

There was only a few hours left until we would be reunited with Kara and Rian. We were only two hours from Jacksonville where we would pick up the newlyweds and ATL would preform. I was anticipating seeing them again so much, I was shaken.

I was sitting on the couch watching sports with Zack when Jack walked in, disappointment written on his face.

"Bad news. Kara and Rian can't get out of the hotel room in time, so we need to keep Luis on the drums for tonight. But we'll pick them up first thing in the morning." Jack explained. I was sad, but I had gone so many days without them, I think I could last another night.

When we got to the showroom in Jacksonville, it had an extremely eerie feeling to it. I couldn't put my finger on it, but something wasn't right at this place. Since it felt so weird, I decided to stay in close range of the guys for the night. I found a corner in the back similar to the ones I had stayed at the nights before, and sat there.

All Time Low was amazing in concert. All the guys had serious talent, and it showed when they were preforming. Listening to them was simple and easygoing. It made me feel good inside, and I found myself singing along.

Jack didn't necessarily pull me up on stage very often, but he decided to that night. It was break between songs when Jack appeared backstage with urgency in his eyes.

"C'mon Grace! Come sing with us!" he encouraged. My stomach lurched. I still wasn't comfortable preforming. I sighed and got up. There was only one way to get over my fears.

I checked myself head to toe before stepping out into the blinding lights. I could see fans throwing each other around only to get near the front to get a better look at the guys. I had to look at my feet when walking across the stage because of my nerves, and because the wiring made it impossible not to trip. I couldn't imagine falling on my face in front of all these people.

Jack never said I had to lead sing. I wanted to ease in to preforming, rather then hop right on. I would start from the back and move forward from there.

Alex began to sing, and I detected the melody immediately. It was one of my favorite All Time Low songs. The Beach.

It took a minute for me to sing to my full extent. I hadn't used my voice like that in weeks. But I caught on quick enough before anyone could notice. I felt myself tempted to run up with Alex and just go crazy, but I held myself back. I wasn't quite ready for that.

Though I didn't join Alex, I did start dancing. The Beach was a great song to dance to, and when singing along, it was a necessity.

Unfortunately, I wasn't watching my footing. The cords around my feet were like a death trap waiting to happen. The song was almost over when the death trap pounced. I got twisted up and fell to the ground with a loud thud. Embarrassment flowed through. Without looking back, I crawled off the stage.

Once I was within running distance, I bolted to the bus. I could feel the humiliation boiling over in tears. I was ashamed and I probably made a fool of All Time Low too. I hid myself in Jack's bunk, not knowing anywhere else to go, and just cried. Everyone was probably laughing at me.

I could feel myself drifting to sleep when the guys came in.

"Grace?" I could hear multiple people calling. I didn't want too show my face, but I knew I had to soon enough.

"Grace?" I heard a familiar voice call. I nearly forgot my stage fiasco and hopped off Jack's bunk to greet my newlywed friend.

"Kara!" I squealed. Her face lit up when she saw me and ran to hug me. It may have only been a week, but it felt like forever.

"Grace, are you OK? That fall looked like it hurt." she asked with concern. My face dropped and I sighed again in unease.

"I'm fine. I just feel like an idiot." I said looking at my hands, regretting the decision to sing.

"I'm sorry." she said as she pulled me into another friendly hug.

"So wheres your husband? I am in need of a Rian hug." I laughed. Rian was delighted to see me, and I was happy to see him too. He was like my big brother.

After seeing my friends again, I had almost forgotten about my incident. But Alex ended up intaking a little too much alcohol again. He wasn't as bad as he was the other night, but he had a girl with him this time.

God knows what her name was, but all I knew was, she was scarce on clothing. Slutty. That would be the proper word. She was thin and blond, just the way Alex likes them. She spent most of her time sitting on Alex's lap screaming funny stories at everyone. She also had some wonderful face time with Alex.

When they kissed, my stomach curled. I wasn't exactly sure what had triggered it, but it was painful. I was almost sure my feelings for Alex were gone. I just hated seeing him with someone else, and someone terrible especially. This girl had no morals whatsoever.

To stop the pain, I unglued my eyes from their gross PDA, to enjoy some time with the amazing friends I now shared a home with. I automatically felt better being with them, rather than regurgitating over Alex and his new girl. Girl for the night, that is.

Sleeping that night was difficult.

Noises of 'love' were spread throughout the bus, making those not participating queeze. It was disturbing. We all knew it was Alex and what's her face enjoying their first night. Now I wish Jack would've listened to me about keeping Alex away from the alcohol. I felt another slash of pain in my stomach with the thought of Jack and I fighting.

I tried hard to just ignore the two. I curled myself up with Jack and just thought happy thoughts.

I woke up with three confusing things bouncing around in my head. One, Jack wasn't there. Two, I was freezing. And three, I could faintly hear yelling nearby. I was still exhausted and cold, so I wrapped a blanket around myself and peered through the cubbyhole. What I saw startled me.

Jack's arms were flying around, and Alex's were strained at his sides, waiting to attack. Jack was angrily yelling in Alex's face, as Alex just stood there seeming unmoved. They were fighting, again.

I couldn't hear, and I didn't want to hear. I wrapped the dingy pillow around my head and curled up into a tight ball, attempting to return to sleep.

When the yelling grew louder and less faint, sleeping wasn't an option. I sat up and rubbed my tired eyes. The air was still cold and the bus was still dark. I climbed out of the cubbyhole and looked at my surroundings. The bus was filled with snoring and the smell of tequila. My nose itched at the scent.

I followed the shouting all the way to front of the bus. We had made it to our next venue extremely early and the driver had parked in front of a hotel. I swung the curtains of a small window to see Jack furiously arguing with Alex.

"I don't care that it's more fun, this much partying is not good for you Alex." Jack complained.

"Well you're not the boss of me!" Alex sneered like a toddler.

"God dammit, Alex. You have everyone scared that something will happen to you."

"Would you guys fucking trust me for once?" Alex screamed in anger.

"Dude, you have Grace worried sick! And don't say that you don't give a shit because I know you do." Jack countered.

Alex's face fell and he became amazingly interested in his feet. It was a nice feeling to know he cared about me, but I just wished him and Jack didn't need to fight about it.

"Well shes your girlfriend, why do I care what she thinks?!" Alex suddenly exploded. Him and Jack were only inches apart, and the tension left a burning feeling on my skin.

Jack and Alex were suddenly hurling themselves at each other. Punches were being thrown and profanity was let loose. The image of them fighting sent twists in my stomach and burning in my head. I had no idea what to do, but I knew I couldn't let them horse around any longer. Someone could get hurt.

"Stop it! Just stop!" I shrieked as I climbed off the bus. I automatically threw myself in their direction, but I had to be cautious. "Please just stop this!" I cried.

Alex and Jack stopped the fighting instantly and pulled away from each other. They looked at me with shock in their eyes as they huffed and puffed for air. I could feel tears running down my cheeks. I could tell they were about to say something, but I couldn't stick around. My body was quivering and my mind was still half asleep.

"Grace, wait!" I could hear them say as I walked to the back of the bus. I went into the back room, only to fall asleep immediately on the couch.


	4. Chapter 4

"You know you're really cute when you sleep?" I awoke on the lumpy couch with Jack sitting at my feet. The sun was shining bright and the air was slightly warmer. But the bus was rather quiet. No sounds of arguing, or even chatting. Silence.

"Where is everybody." I yawned, stretching my arms.

"Monster truck rally." Jack answered simply, "Just you and me." he smiled

I smiled before throwing the covers over my face. The day with Jack sounded like a perfect day.

"Hey!" Jack laughed. The covers were removed from my face as Jack lifted the blanket. I hid my grin with my hands, but that didn't stop him either. He pinned my arms down on the couch and kissed me passionately, holding my face in his hands.

It wasn't long before we were doing nothing. We had all day before the guys got back. We drifted around the entire bus, until we finally found residence in the front by the pullout couch. I was sitting on his lap as he played with my hair.

"Did you fix things with Alex?" I asked to end the silence.

"Yeah, he just needs to learn a little." Jack said nodding.

"A little..." I said sarcastically.

I felt like screaming 'I told you so' but knew he didn't want to hear that. I rubbed his arm to comfort him and he wrapped himself around me. I felt like I was being pulled into a safety blanket, like no one could hurt me.

"I'm sorry for upsetting you last night." Jack said with obvious concern.

"I just don't want you to get hurt messing around." I whispered, playing with a hole in my shirt, avoiding his eyes.

"Awe, you don't need to worry about me." he said kissing my cheek.

We had sat in silence for a few minutes when Jack cleared his throat.

"So..." he trailed off with slight edge in his voice.

"So what?" I asked.

"Since its just the two of us..."

"Oh." I said, suddenly understanding. I was surprisingly surprised. I would have thought I would've been prepared for this, considering we were two twenty-year-olds in love.

Was I ready?

"Never mind, forget I said anything." Jack murmured, embarrassed.

"No, Jack. I love you."

"And I love you too. But we don't have to do anything you don't want to do."

"Who said I didn't?" I whispered sensually. I playfully kissed his neck as he laughed. There were so many things going through my mind when he started fiddling with my clothes, and I with his. Were we protected? Would he realize I was a virgin? What if the guys bust open the door to see us getting it on? Why must I think so much?

But as soon as I was close to him, all fear dissolved and my raging thoughts were put on hold.


	5. Chapter 5

I felt amazing waking up in Jack's arms later that day. The sun was just barely up and the guys weren't back yet. They still had a concert to perform that night.

"Good afternoon." Jack said kissing the top of my head. He seemed just as happy as I was. We lied there, just to be together. He kept his arms wrapped tightly, yet gently, around me. It had been quite some time when he said, "We may want to get dressed before the guys get back."

I threw on a t-shirt and skinny jeans just in time for the guys to show up. They had no idea, and I preferred to keep it that way.

There were still a couple hours left until the next concert and I needed something to keep me occupied. I picked up my most recent hobby off the coffee table in the front room and headed to Jack's empty bunk. It was the last book in an extremely popular series. People called it the 'Twilight Series'. I was reading Breaking Dawn, and it was very riveting.

The guys made fun of me for being just another twilighter. My friend told me I had to read it, so I did and magically fell in love.

I had about 40 pages left in BD (that's what they call it, right?), when I heard whimpering sounds coming from the end of the bus. I thought all the guys were out getting food and that I was the only one on the bus. Slightly scared, I crept to the back to find the culprit.

My heart did a leap before chilling completely. It was Zack.

But oddly enough, he had something in his hands. It looked like a book, a black one with nothing on the front or back. But something was written on the spine in shiny letters.

"Zack!? What are you doing reading New Moon?" I shrieked. The book was the copy I made the guys pick up for me a couple weeks back when I finished Twilight.

Zack's eyes met mine with terror. He was crying... over the book?

"It's not what it looks like!" Zack shouted, his voice throaty from the tears.

"Awe, are you sad Edward left?" I asked in a baby voice. Zack was outraged and automatically slammed the book on the side table. He lifted himself off the old recliner and strode over to me. For an instant, I thought he was going to hit me.

"You tell anyone, you're dead." he growled, his face only inches from mine.

"OK." I winced, scooting away from his angry glare. "But if you don't mind my asking, why are you reading it in the first place?" I asked honestly confused.

"Well to see what happens, duh."

"I got that, but why did you read Twilight at all? It's supposedly a girl thing." I said, fearing my words would set him off again.

"I had nothing to do." he shrugged.

"Wow." was all I could choke out.

"There's nothing wrong with a man reading Twilight." he stated proudly.

I murmured under my breath, 'Not at all', but luckily, he didn't hear.

The guys began their concert like all the others. They played song after song, the crowd loved it, and the guys would milk their fame and so on. Tour was like getting paid to have all the fun in the world. Playing on stage was such a joyous and carefree thing for them, almost involuntary.

I gripped the old blanket tightly. I grabbed one of the generic cloths lying around on the bus to keep me warm. All Time Low was almost done performing, and I was waiting in the back, as usual.

Their final song was over and they were heading backstage. All of them were sweaty and gross, the showings of a good concert. They were loading up the equipment when a friend of theirs came in.

"Cassadee?" Zack exclaimed wide-eyed.

I turned to see a petite girl wearing tight pants and a thermal tee with hearts on it standing with her hand on her hip. I automatically identified her as Cassadee Pope, lead singer of Hey Monday.

"Hey guys." she said, flipping her short brown and blond hair over her eyes. "You remember Elliot? Hey Monday's drummer?" she said gesturing to the tall guy beside her.

"What's up Cassy?" Jack laughed, running over to the small woman and wrapping his arms around her in a friendly hug.

"Tour." was all Cassadee could choke out due to his tight hug.

"Come hang with us! We're chilling in the back room." Zack invited.

"Sure!" Cassadee agreed with enthusiasm.

Alex lead the way, assuming alcohol was involved, and the rest followed into the back room of the building. Well, except for me that is.

No one asked me if I wanted a drink, or even to go hang out. I was just left to sit in the back as some band I didn't even know played some songs, while everyone else was having fun. I felt like such a loser.

I didn't want to wallow in self pity, so I stayed for a couple of songs before walking back out into the cold. I knew I could just easily go have fun, but I was tired anyways. I headed back to the bus in the cool dark, as the noise of music slowly faded behind me.

I walked in, but immediately noticed there was someone there. But I thought everyone was inside hanging out. I peered through the door to see Alex sitting on the couch, his guitar just waiting to be played.

"It could be for the last time and it's not right. 'Don't let yourself get in over your head,' he said. Alone and far from home, I'll find you." he sang. But he stopped. He looked down at his feet for a few moments and then buried his face in his hands. I could swear he was crying his eyes out.

I knew that this song was about his deceased brother who committed suicide a couple years ago, but I had heard him perform this song multiple times, without a single tear. I guess that was what life was like for Alexander William Gaskarth. Making people think you're happy, but you're really somewhat broken inside. I could almost comprehend what that feels like.

All I wanted to do was run up to him and hug him. To just hug him. But I felt I couldn't, like I shouldn't. This was his personal time. He didn't need the girl who turned him down to run in and pity him.

"Sing...... me.......... to sleep." he continued. Small tears rolled down his face and onto his guitar. I could suddenly see the pain he was cleverly hiding. It was striking, like a blade, hitting me right in the gut. It hurt me to know I hurt him.

Alex couldn't play the rest, so he just set his guitar to the side and stood up. He took a moment to make sure no tears were showing. He was most likely heading out to get back to the concert. Panicking, I ran and hid in front of the bus. I really didn't want him to know I saw that.

I waited for him to leave, and once he was gone, I crawled into Jack's bunk. Jack wouldn't be back for a while, so I just sat there. I stared at the ceiling of the bunk and felt the sorrow for Alex flow through me like a river of pain. I wish I knew a way to help him.

I rolled over onto my stomach. My back was in serious pain.

I just lied there. Motionless. But that's when I heard the door slam and voices piling into the bus. The concert must've been over.

The curtain was abruptly moved.

"Hello."

The voice was male, but it wasn't Jack. I looked up to see a man towering much higher and was much broader. I didn't get a good look at the man before I was knocked out cold.

[A/N ooo suspense :)) sorry haven't posted in forever, is being stupid :( more up soon!]


	6. Chapter 6

My mind was hazy and it felt like I was being attacked by a jackhammer. I must've been hit very hard. I opened eyes to see I was in the back of the bus. Duct tape was wrapped around my entire face, concealing my screams of terror. My hands were bound together by more duct tape and my legs were too.

It didn't take long for me to discover what was going on. I was being kidnapped. But before I could start crying and hyperventilating, I was again, knocked out cold.

The ground beneath me was amazingly hot. My face wasn't bound anymore, so I could breathe. But when inhaling, dirt entered my lungs. I felt around me and I was surrounded by dirt. In shock, I lifted myself off the ground and I felt a sharp pain in my right rib.

I felt my forehead to find it wet. Blood was dripping all over my body. I looked around me, and all I could see was nothing. I was in the middle of nowhere.

[A/N yeah, crazy short chapter, but I would love for some feedback! I know some people have added this to their favorite stories and some have subbed it, but there are no reviews! How can I know what you guys think if you don't say anything? If there is even one review when I check back next time, more chapters will come :)) peace out girl scout ~Gabby]


	7. Chapter 7

In the view of Jack Barakat

It was utterly surprising to find the bus gone. I was completely shocked. But when realizing that Grace decided not to join us this time, my entire body froze. Whoever had the bus, had Grace.

Having your loved one snatched out from under you was an indescribable feeling. It was almost like being stabbed in random places and having no way to fight back. Grace was taken, but it was almost impossible to know where. I felt powerless.

I never felt like crying was a 'wimpy' thing for a guy to do, but I felt that rather being strong than upset could help find her.

The guys and the crew all piled onto the crew's bus. There was a lot of us on there, but it was all we had. I slipped myself up into the front, away from the majority of the people. I needed to be alone.

I held myself responsible for all of it. How could I not? If I decided to go with her onto the bus rather then enjoy myself and drink it up, Grace would still be here. Why did this have to happen?

My teeth clenched as my hands balled up into fists on my knee. Some bastard had stolen Grace and I wasn't about to let them get away with it. I knew breaking things wouldn't solve anything, but so much anger was building up inside of me, I felt I might just destroy everything.

I assumed everyone understood my anger. No one bothered me for the rest of the night.

We did everything we could to find the bus. Considering finding the bus would lead us to Grace. We checked the local police, we checked possible witnesses, everything. But by the end of the night, we returned to our bus empty handed.

"God dammit!" I yelled. All the anger had built up and I needed some way to express it. I buried my face in my trembling hands to conceal it. I could feel the stares of my friends and coworkers all looking directly at me as I blurted out my obvious pain.

I could feel a light touch on my shoulder. Someone was trying to reassure me. I lifted my head to see Nano looking down at me.

"We'll find her." he whispered. His words made me feel stranded, like I was never going to reach Grace in time. I didn't handle helplessness well.

I didn't really have to keep composure for anyone. But I felt I needed to. More or less, I wanted to.

I hated being corny, but Grace meant the world to me. I couldn't just let her go. How could I have been so stupid! I just left her there, while I was drinking with Cassadee and Elliot.

"Hey man, you OK?" I heard Alex ask. My arms were wrapped around my knees up on the couch. I looked up to see it was just me and him in the front of the bus.

"Sure." I whispered, placing my head back on my knees.

"Look, man. I'm sorry, we'll find her, I promise." he said, reassuringly patting my shoulder.

"Would everyone just stop saying we're are going to find her!" I exploded. All anger that I had built up was spilling over.

"Whoa, dude, I'm sorry." Alex said as he scooted away from my angry words.

"I am sick and tired of everyone fucking telling me everything is going to be fine! Because it's not." I was on my feet at that point. My shouts were probably causing a stir throughout the bus. What did I care?

"I know, I know." Alex said, slightly frightened.

"No! You don't know! You never will! Grace was always worried about you, but you're too much of an ass to care!" My body was shaking, tears were finally running down my face, but both in pain and anger. "You never deserved someone like her to care about you! Well it doesn't matter, because shes..." I couldn't even finish my sentence. I buried my face in my hands and just let the tears flow.

Alex was careful in his movement as he walked over to me and hugged me. "I'm sorry." he whispered.

I didn't sleep well that night. I couldn't stop thinking. My eyes just weren't ready to close, and my mind wasn't ready to shut down. I just kept thinking.

What could I do?

[A/N Reviews are well loved :) ~Gabby]


	8. Chapter 8

I had only gotten about 30 minutes of sleep when the shouting started.

"We found it!" I heard numerous people shrieking. I looked at my watch, 11:34 am. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and rolled out of my bunk to see what all the fuss was about.

"Jack! Finally, you're awake! We found our bus!" Rian exclaimed. Everyone was buzzing around in joy that we found our precious bus. I wasn't quite satisfied. The bus was a little bit lower on my list of priorities at the moment.

"Where is it?" I asked, noticing we were moving.

"We're going to get it right now." Danny answered. He was lounged on the couch in his shorts and flip flops. Oh yeah, we were still in Florida.

"Do you know if shes there?" I asked nervously.

"No idea." Rian answered, some of his happiness vanishing.

"It's a start." Alex said , putting his hand on my shoulder. He was only wearing boxers, socks, and a very large grin. Typical Alex.

My mind went hectic. There was a possibility that Grace was only minutes away. My nerves went haywire and my entire body was anxious and tight from the thought. I had to sit down before my light head had spun out of control.

The few simple minutes Danny had spoken about, seemed like hours. The road I could see ahead just seemed to get longer as we drove. I could hardly stand this feeling that I had to wait.

Once the bus was in sight, my nerves began to warm and subside. But the fear of what we would find still attacked the back of my mind. I couldn't even imagine the possibilities.

"Wait?" I stopped, realizing I was missing a large amount of information. "Where are we?"

"Highway 10." Danny answered simply.

"Where? I need specifics." I stammered.

"We're west of Jacksonville, east of Baldwin." Danny clarified.

So we were still in this damn state of Florida. I sighed heavily.

I was staring at my feet when the bus came to an abrupt halt. My head jerked up as the people around me were exiting the bus to excavate the one we just found. My heart skipped a beat. My mind couldn't handle the thought of what we would find on our bus.

I wasn't exactly sure if I was relieved or even more helpless when we found nothing. The bus was completely empty, only a few of our useless personal items remaining. The pounding in the side of my head only got worse.

"We need to fucking find her!" I yelled, trying not to punch a hole in the wall. Everything was crashing in on me and I had no way to stop it from crushing me. My friends could only look at me and try to understand this feeling of nothing.

I couldn't take the sorrowful stares pointed at me, so I dashed to my bunk. After closing the curtain, I let out a couple of tears. I wasn't one to show off emotion in front of my coworkers. I just felt this ribbing pain in my stomach, laughing at me for being stupid.

If I had only stayed on the bus.

Suddenly, all the pain and stupidity rushed out in a flood of anger. I hadn't lost Grace just yet. I knew we had to find her. I jerked the curtain out of the way and wiped away my frustrated tears. This was not the time to be sobbing and feeling sorry for myself.

[A/N sorry it's a short chapter, I'll post another one in a sec :) ~Gabby]


	9. Chapter 9

**In the view of Grace Eckridge**

I didn't know what hurt more, the hunger or the cuts along my arms. But I did know the sun was no help. My bare feet were constantly being cut in the dirt as I dragged my tired body through this wasteland. I had no idea where I was, but I was far from safety.

If I could guess, it seemed about 2:45 pm. But what did I know? I hadn't seen a clock in over 24 hours. My guess was as good as a child's.

My breathes were getting shorter every minute as I sluggishly walked, and walked, and walked. There was no where to go, no signs for the right direction, not even a mirage to lift my spirits. I was dead walking.

I didn't know why I strode on through the endless desert. I guess there wasn't anything else I could do to stop myself from dying here.

Being alone in the middle of nowhere gives you serious time to think about all the mistakes you've made in life. I had always wanted to go to Spain, I wanted to professionally sing, I wanted to get married...

I really wished I hadn't been so uptight when it came to fun. I missed so many parties in college because I was afraid. I always felt I was going to embarrass myself.

I was just glad I got to spend the last year with All Time Low. Jack, Zack, Rian, and even Alex made life a little sweeter and worth living. I hope they don't miss me.

My head stung as the wind threw some dirt up into the slightly healed cuts on my forehead. My entire body was ripped to shreds and destroyed from whatever those people did to me. I shuddered, wrapping my broken body around myself. I felt lonely and lost in a sea of nothing.

For miles, there was nothing but sky. It would've been pretty if it wasn't a damn death sentence. The bright blueness nearly felt like a box, slowly closing in on me, forcing me to race against time to live. I didn't like this game of escape.

Every step I took, my head felt lighter. I was hungry, tired, and stupid. My mind was close to shutting down completely. All I needed was something to make me keep going.

Suddenly, Jack popped up into my mind. His addictive smile and bright, warm eyes made my heart race. Jack was my inspiration to keep moving. To stay alive. Just the thought of being reunited was like my own personal mirage.

With a fierce pain in my head, I could feel my body wobbling to a stop. My surroundings were spinning around me like I was on a bad kiddie ride at the fair. My eyes nearly rolled into the back of my head. I could feel the hot dirt against my ruined skin. I had fallen to the ground, but I felt like I was strapped down. All the weight in the world was keeping me down.

I was pretty sure I was dying. My mind was going blank, my sight was fading, the pain was slightly numbed. But I could've sworn I heard my name being shouted from a distance. Everything was finally closing in, death was near. I said my goodbyes to the world and let my eyelids fall.

Goodbye...

If this was what heaven was like, heaven was painful. My entire body felt strapped down to an uncomfortable bed in the corner of a poorly lit room. I thought the gates of heaven were easy and blissful, that lead to clouds and sunshine. I was robbed of my peaceful death.

I felt like I was hungover, my head buzzing, my stomach lurching, my eyes sensitive to the light and my body numb.

My eyes were merely slits, opening as slowly as possible. But once my eyes were open enough, the area around me was blurred. But I could still tell I was in some sort of hospital. The dull walls with machines everywhere kind of gave it away.

I assumed I was hooked up to an IV, considering my arms hurt like hell. I could feel something under my nose, and another something wrapped around my ankle. So I was literally strapped down.

The room was finally clear. It was empty, and the window told me it was some time in the night. I shivered at the cold, hospital air.

So I didn't get to heaven, whatever. I would've been grateful if I wasn't in so much pain.

It took me 3 seconds to realize I wasn't alone. I was gently moving my arm when I nudged some other person. Alex's startled gasp made my eyes grow wide and my frown turn into a weak grin.

Alex had scooted me over when I was sleeping so he could chill. Typical Alex.

"Good morning sunshine." he said, kissing my forehead.

I was still too out of it to talk, so I nodded.

"You're finally awake." he smiled, "You are currently at the hospital of Baltimore, sweet cakes."

"Hmmm." was all I could say.

"I'm glad you're OK Grace, I really am." he said, putting his head on my shoulder. I smiled. I felt like this was the real Alex Gaskarth, not the one he puts on everyday.

"A-A-A Alex?" I mumbled. My words came out mostly muffled, but he heard me.

"Yeah?"

"What t-t-time is it?" I asked.

"It's about 2:30 in the morning." he said, checking his watch.

"No o-offense, but why are y-you here? S-shouldn't you be sleeping?" I murmured.

"I was, but I was worried about you, so I came and chilled her." he said, extending his arm around my shoulders, avoiding my IV.

"Thanks Alex." I said, laying my head on his chest.

"No problem."

I just lied there, thinking. Alex was such an amazing friend, I didn't deserve him. It just kind of sucked that hurt him last summer. But at least we were friends again. Even if he was an attention-hogging alcoholic. I still loved him like a brother.

"Alex? I'm really sorry." I said after minutes passed.

"Sorry for what?" he asked, honestly confused.

"That I hurt you."

"Grace, that was last year, I'm fine." he said.

"Are you sure?" I whispered, peering up at him.

"You chose Jack, and he loves you and you love him. Sure as hell." he answered.

"OK." was all I could manage.

"Really Grace. Jack makes you happy." Alex said.

I didn't feel any better, so I looked down at my hands.

"Things will be OK Grace, don't worry." Alex unwrapped his arm and reached down to intertwine his fingers with mine. It didn't matter that there was a horrifically painful IV attached to that arm. Alex made me forgot that.

"Grace..." he whispered.

I slowly tilted my head up towards Alex. He was already looking down at me. It was almost like I felt something pulling me towards him. I was suddenly closing my eyes and leaning in for a casual kiss, and so was he.

What was I doing?

I didn't care. Jack wouldn't mind one sweet little kiss. I hoped.

It lasted 3 seconds and was completely close-mouthed. Once I was back in reality, I snuggled my way away from his face. I couldn't let it go any further.

"Goodnight Alex."

"Goodnight Grace."

[Theres a bit more to come :) reviews are fabulous :) peace out girl scout ~Gabby]


	10. Chapter 10

"Hey." Jack whispered. I had awoken the next day in that same dull hospital room. The room was bright this time, it raised the happiness a bit. Jack was my only visitor, and he seemed happy to see me awake.

"Hey." I whispered. I wasn't fully aware just yet. Jack reached up and grabbed my hand. He was smiling sweetly, though his eyes seemed worried.

We sat in silence for a few moments, just looking at each other. It had been days since I'd seen him, and I missed him insanely. I needed his presence more than anything.

Jack stood up at my bedside, and just looked down at me happily.

"What happened?" I asked feebly, "I mean, how did you guys find me?" I was surprised he heard me on account of my voice was incredibly weak.

"Alex and I drove that area, Zack and Kara walked it, and Rian hitchhiked a chopper." he explained.

"Oh. All I can remember was falling, then hearing people shouting, and now I'm in a hospital 1000 miles away."

Jack didn't say anything, he just blinked.

"Who found me?" I asked.

"Me and Alex." he said smiling, touching my hair.

I knew it would've been him.

"I thought you were dead Grace." he said with pain in his small voice. I could tell that my disappearance was hard on him, as it was on me. "I need to be more careful when we're on tour." he stated, turning his back to me.

"How could I have been so stupid?" Jack continued. I opened my mouth to stop him, but couldn't find any words. I knew it wasn't his fault that I was kidnapped, but who was at fault? Me?

"Jack, it's not your fault the bus got stolen, and I just so happened to be on it." I said, sitting up on the hospital bed, ignoring the pain from the IV.

"Yes it is!" he said, trying to keep his voice down. "If I stayed with you rather than drinking and partying, you wouldn't be like this." he said angrily.

"Jack, I'm here now, I'm alive. Doesn't that matter?"

"Of course it does. But..."

"Jack," I interrupted, "no 'buts', it's over now." I whispered.

Jack turned back around, his eyes sorrowful, yet understanding. He took 3 slow steps to my bed and put his hands on either side of my face. He leaned down to kiss my lips just once. He pulled back and looked me deeply in the eyes, as if to say 'I'm sorry'.

"I love you Grace, and don't ever leave me like that again, please?"

I smirked and looked down at my bruised hands, then nodded.

I looked up to see him smiling, the natural twinkle restored to his eyes. With his hands still holding my face, his kissed me again. This time, ignoring my injured state. He ran his fingers through my dirty hair as my hands clutched his shirt. I was more than happy to be with Jack again.

After he pulled away and sat down next to me, he asked, "So was Alex sexually harassing you last night?"

"Oh yeah, that." I said, looking away.

Jack laughed and flipped open his phone. "I think it's time I share you with everyone else."

He called in all our friends to greet me after awakening, everyone was ecstatic to see me alive and OK.

"How was sleeping for 5 days?" Rian joked after hugging me tightly.

"Joyous." I said sarcastically.

"I was so worried about you!" Kara said from under Rian's arm.

I was lovingly hugged and kissed by a lot of my close personal friends, including my dorm sisters, when I noticed an absence. I was automatically terrified at why they weren't here.

"Jack?" I said frantically. "Where is Zack?"

"Um, Grace." he began.

The room went silent.

Alex came out from behind a few of my friends to explain. "Grace, Zack is a couple rooms over."

"Why?" I asked confused.

"He fell when we were out looking for you. He broke a lot of bones, he's beat up pretty bad." Alex said.

I suddenly felt like I was shot in the stomach. Another person was hurt on account of me. Without so much as a sob, a tear dribbled down my cheek, I was a monster.

"Where is he?" I asked Alex.

"Room 43." Alex said quietly.

I pushed my friends out of the way as I raced to room 43. It was only a few rooms over, but the door was shut and locked. His visiting hours were up. I looked down at my wretched feet and saw the tears drop to the floor. I felt horrible.

"He'll be OK, Grace, I promise." Jack whispered from behind me. I turned around to bury my face in his chest. Was he really going to be OK?

"It's all my fault." I said, my throat dry and hot.

"No Grace, it's not." he said, holding me closer. He wiped the tears from my cheeks before kissing them. I looked back at Zack's lifeless body. It hurt to know this happened when looking for me. Precious little me.

A second set of arms were being wrapped around my waist from behind. Alex rested his head on my shoulder to join in on our little hug. I leaned away from Jack to kiss Alex on the cheek. This made him smile. I turned back to Jack, stood up on my tippy toes to kiss him on the lips.

Then came a third pair of arms, that came with a fourth around his shoulders. Rian, and Kara, were the last to join our group hug. I had my boys with me, which made the pain in my body seem to melt away.

But it felt empty without Zack. His absence sent yet another tear down my cheek.

"Oh, Jack, aren't you forgetting something?" Rian asked, winking to Jack secretive like.

"Oh yes, thank you Rian for reminding me."

I looked at the both of them trying to think. What was going on?

Alex, Rian and Kara released themselves from our hug and walked back to my room. Once they were gone, Jack looked down at me. Seeing my puzzled face made him grin and laugh to himself.

"What is it?" I asked.

Jack just smiled down at me. He leaned his forehead on mine, waiting to see if I would figure it out. But when I didn't, he finally gave in.

He moved his face down to my ear.

"Happy Birthday." he whispered.

I was an idiot who forgot my own birthday. Wow. I had finally turned 21.

My friends awaited me in the room over to celebrate my birthday. I felt extremely loved. What with having Jack's arms wrapped around me, Alex's hand holding mine, Rian's hand on my shoulder, and everyone else smiling at me happily.

The only thing missing was Zack.


	11. Chapter 11

Epilogue

"How's the leg Zack?" I asked Zack as he wheeled himself out the front door of my dorm. He was still in his wheelchair. After the accident, he was pretty messed up.

"Stings like hell, thanks for asking." he smiled.

Zack had broken both legs, an arm, lost tons of blood, fractured his skull, and broke too many ribs to count. Walking was far away.

ATL had been taking a break from tour considering they were traumatized and Zack couldn't even walk. But tonight was their first night preforming in months. Zack was extremely excited.

Just as we were loading up, Jack's BMW pulled into the driveway. Him and Alex had been gone all day.

"Hey." Jack said as he got out of his car.

"Hey, where have you been?" I asked.

"Alex needed some tampons, extra absorbent." he joked.

"Yeah, because I'm on high-flow at the moment. Watch out for my deadly PMS." Alex smiled.

"Seriously though, where were-" I said, but before I could finish, Jack was kissing me.

He pulled away and said, "Babe, don't worry about." he kissed me once more before running into my dorm. Alex winked as he followed Jack inside. I didn't really want to know what they were up to.

"Ignore them, they're idiots." laughed Rian.

"Yeah but we love them anyways." Kara said, clinging to Rian's arm.

I sighed. That's what Rian and Kara had been saying for weeks. Something wasn't right.

I shook off the thought and continued moving equipment. We were short on buff guys, considering Zack wasn't aloud to lift things for a while.

All Time Low was playing in that same cute little showroom again tonight. Just like their first concert I attended. The place brought back happy memories from last year. I was excited to see it again.

I was unloading stuff from the van when I saw Jack and Rian chatting in the distance. They both seemed way too serious to be part of the band ATL. Being serious was not something they did. I set down the amp I was lifting to peek over at them.

"What-cha looking at?" I jumped at Zack's calm voice behind me. I turned to him and set my hand on my waist.

"Nothing." I said sarcastically.

"Well then get to work!" he yelled jokingly. I laughed at him, but Jack and Rian were still in the back of my mind. I wondered what they could've been talking about. I sat down the amp and sighed a heavy sigh. I hated complications.

The concert began a little while later. I snuggled up with Kara in the back so we could talk. I had a few questions to ask, she acted like she knew what was going on earlier.

"What's up with all the guys? Am I missing something?" I asked.

"Oh nothing..." she trailed off.

"Kara, what did I say about keeping secrets from me? What is going on?" I said, shaking her arm.

"You'll find out." she said as she hopped off her seat and ran into the chaos that is backstage. She was gone before I could try to find her. That was utterly no help at all. Thanks Kara.

The music was loud, it hurt my ears. But I loved just about every song the guys had written. It wasn't just because I was Jack's girlfriend, I had liked ATL for a while. I would hum along to all the songs they played. I was just the ultimate fan/groupie/girlfriend.

I could hear the tune from one of my favorite acoustic songs beginning. Even though it was older, they were playing Jasey Rae. My heart sank, this was one of my favorites.

Out of nowhere was Jack, grabbing my hand and pulling my on stage. He ran up to the front and grabbed his Mic. Whatever he was doing, I was worried.

"Hold on! Hold on!" he said. The music stopped, the fan's cheering went down a couple notches, and they all faced Jack to listen.

Jack walked around the stage a bit before speaking. "Now, I'm sure most have you have met my awesome girlfriend Grace, right?" girlish screams echoed throughout the showroom.

"OK. So that means you know how honestly amazing, smart beautiful and drop-dead sexy she is, right?" Jack asked his fans. I blushed when he said I was sexy. The theater was a mix of cheers and 'awes'.

"And you know that I love her more than anything." he said meeting my gaze. He looked me in the eye, and smiled. Where was he going with this?

"So I'm going to ask for your guys' help now, OK?" he turned to the crowd and winked.

Jack suddenly got down on one knee.

"Grace Marie Eckridge."

I had seen more than enough romance movies to know where this would lead to. My heart stopped, and the tears were already about to explode out of me. The crowd's reaction was just as crazy as mine.

"I love you more than you can imagine, more than I love Alexander William Gaskarth." he smiled. I couldn't help but laugh, neither could the fans. From back stage I heard Alex yell, 'I love you too man!'.

"I will always love you, Grace. Will you marry me?" words seemed impossible at this point. This was the moment I had been waiting for my entire life. I loved Jack with every fiber of my being, and the answer to his question was obvious to me. Of course I would marry him.

But saying the mere word 'yes' was too hard.

My hand covered my mouth. I was crying uncontrollably, but I was also smiling. Before I let too much time get away, I nodded my answer. The crowd's cheers were loud, but soon faded to the back. All I could see was Jack.

He pulled out the engagement ring and slipped it on my finger before jumping up and pulling me into his arms. My tears of joy ran down his shirt as we just stood there. My mind was scrambled, thinking of all the good that had come out of the last year and a half.

Jack pulled me out of our embrace, only to hold his face close to mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck, not intending to let go. It was almost like we weren't two crazy people in love any more, we were one big insane person. I closed my eyes and just stood there, to let the fan's cheers buzz in my head.

I opened my eyes and started laughing at my corny ass. Jack looked up at me and laughed too, but with happiness that I hadn't seen in months. He was the same lively Jack I remembered from the 8th grade, the same Jack who risked his life to save me last summer, and the same Jack who built up the nerve to propose to me in front of hundred of his own fans.

I had never felt happier to be with him. And the thought of us being together forever was something that made even more joyful tears dribble down my cheeks.

I looked around me. Kara was sitting with Rian, crying of course. Alex was dancing, of course. And Zack was smiling happily. I was shaken with merriment as I was suddenly hugged by my new family. We were no where near the end, only the beginning.

{A/N Yeah, kind of cheesy ending. I really don't care. For dramatic effect, re-read the last few paragraphs listening to Vegas Skies by the Cab. It'll help. REMEMBER, the story isn't over. How could I end it like this? As I type this, I am working on the THIRD installment of The ATL fanfiction :). Reviews on the story as a whole would be more than wonderful :) peace out girlscout]

[A/N Look for my next story, *NOT NAMED YET* coming soon, if you could help me out, I've been looking for a name. Just a short lyric from any ATL song would be amazing :) -Gabby]


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